Sunday 2.07.16 – Keep it simple, but…..

We’ve all seen the simple graphic above (perhaps) about pushing outside our comfort zones, to achieve anything great. I prefer this graphic a little more:

The 2016 CrossFit Games Open is coming and it’s a simple way to “test”, or gauge your current level of fitness for the next year.

One of the things we strive for at The Compound, is to provide simple and effective training, for a healthy life. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy The Open, it is a great example of simple and effective training. It’s that simple training, working on the basics like a beginner, that give you the biggest benefit. I’ve been lifting for almost 20 years, and I still consider myself a beginner and go back in improve on the simple basics again and again and again.

If you look at all the Open workouts from years past (found HERE), not one of them has any crazy or super advanced movements we don’t already work on at The Compound. They are simply 2 or 3 everyday movements done for fastest time or max reps. The only thing that makes it hard is you; your stress level, your effort you put into it, your watching the leaderboard, etc.

Come CrossFit Games Regionals, and the CrossFit Games in the summer, you are going to see crazier and more advanced workouts being programmed. And many “crossfitters” from all over the world will flood social media with crazy videos of people doing tougher WODs, or weightlifters doing advanced Russian or Bulgarian workouts, or professional athletes doing marathon length workouts, etc., etc, etc.

No one will be remember the Open workouts. But we will!

Many people forget, the athletes doing those crazier, tougher, more advanced workouts and movements at Regionals and the CrossFit Games FIRST had to excel at the basic simple programming in the Open. While they kicked our butts, they kept near perfect form while doing double, triple, quadriple the amount of reps we did.

Why? Because they are masters of the simple, basic, beginner movements.

We are going to do Friday Night CrossFit Open Workouts this year. If you don’t want to sign up for the CrossFit Open, I encourage you to still come out and try the CrossFit Open JUST FOR FUN. There are scaled divisions, and getting the gym together will be a fun event for everyone!